Archive for March 2012

Air Conditioning Maintenance At Don's Complete Auto Service In Kissimmee

Warm weather or cold, Kissimmee drivers still need to think about their Automobile’s air conditioning. Most Kissimmee people don’t service their air conditioning until after it fails. At Don's Complete Auto Service, we can advise you on your vehicle manufacturer's preventive maintenance schedules for air conditioning service, just as we do for transmission service, oil changes and so on.

Maintaining your air conditioning system means that you always have enough refrigerant to properly do the job. Small leaks in the Automobile's air conditioning system allow the refrigerant to escape and the system can’t cool the air as well. We see that a lot at Don's Complete Auto Service in Kissimmee.

The refrigerant also contains a special oil that lubricates air conditioning components, and keeps the seals resilient. Low refrigerant and lubricating oil means that the air conditioning parts will wear out prematurely, and all Kissimmee car owners know that air conditioning repairs can be costly. At Don's Complete Auto Service, we recommended that the air conditioner be run regularly, even during winter months, to keep the parts and seals lubricated.

Corrosion is what leads to many air conditioning system failures for Kissimmee motorists. The small leaks mentioned earlier also mean that air and water can leak into the air conditioning system. This can lead to rust and dirt in the internal workings of the air conditioning components. This greatly accelerates wear and, ultimately, failure.

Air conditioning service at Don's Complete Auto Service starts with a visual inspection of the components for signs of damage or leaks. The compressor is driven by a belt from the engine, most often the serpentine belt, so it’s inspected for cracks or wear. The air conditioning compressor and other components are checked for proper operation. Then comes the leak test. If a leak is detected, often in a hose or connection, it’s repaired and the system is retested.

Then the old refrigerant is evacuated and the system is recharged with clean, fresh refrigerant. A final test insures that the Automobile's air conditioner is working, and you’re on your way.

How often this should be done varies from vehicle to vehicle. Your Automobile owner’s manual will have the manufacturer’s recommendation and, of course, your Don's Complete Auto Service service advisor can tell you. It’s typically every two years.

If you’re not getting enough cool air you know something’s wrong. Also, if you hear strange sounds when you turn the air on, there might be a problem with the compressor and you should get it checked out at Don's Complete Auto Service. Replacing a bad A/C clutch in a Automobile is cheaper than waiting for it to ruin the compressor.

Kissimmee drivers need to be aware that there’s one more thing that isn’t directly related to air conditioning service, but does impact the quality of the air in your Automobile. And that’s your cabin air filter. This filter cleans dust, pollen, pollution and other impurities in the air that comes from the heater and air conditioner. The cabin air filter needs to be replaced when it’s dirty. If you don’t it’ll start to smell. Not all vehicles have one, so ask your Don's Complete Auto Service service advisor to check your cabin air filter at the same time they’re doing your air conditioning service.

What Kissimmee Automotive Service Consumers Should Know

There are some things Saint Cloud consumers should know about Kissimmee automotive service and repair. First and foremost, Don's Complete Auto Service cares about you and your family’s safety. And we really appreciate your business. Don's Complete Auto Service in Kissimmee wants to build a trusting relationship that becomes the foundation for a mutually beneficial experience for years to come.

Building on that foundation, there are some things that would help you understand the auto service and repair business better. First, it can be really hard to fix cars. The days of shade tree mechanics are long gone. The majority of automotive systems are computerized. It takes a lot of training and very expensive equipment to diagnose and repair modern vehicles. The technicians that work for Don's Complete Auto Service need extensive computer training – not just how to run the diagnostic systems, but also searching for the right parts, networking with other technicians to help them with a difficult problem and pulling together a job order that makes sure that each step of the process is addressed.

The threshold for getting started as a technician gets higher all the time and there is a huge commitment to on-going training every year. This training takes time and money. It contributes to business overhead. The average Orlando or Oak Ridge driver may not realize the business and environmental regulations Don's Complete Auto Service must comply with. Of course that costs money too. Like any business, overhead is a big factor.

When you go into a Saint Cloud restaurant you don’t value the meal by what the food would cost at the grocery store. The restaurant has rent, wages, insurance, taxes, utilities, professional fees, equipment, supplies – you get the picture. The restaurant has to charge enough to not only pay for the ingredients, but for all these other things as well while making enough profit to remain in business. If you value the meal and are satisfied with your dining experience, you’ll come back and tell your friends.

It’s the same for Don's Complete Auto Service. The value of its service is not the cost of the parts they replace, but in your satisfaction with the results. If they deliver a good product at a fair price, Kissimmee customers are happy to see them succeed as a Florida automotive business.

Contact Don's Complete Auto Service to learn more about our extensive auto service training.
You can find us at:
508 E. Vine Street
Kissimmee, Florida 34744
Or call us at 407-847-3427

Your Kissimmee service center loves to see its customers whenever they come in, but they would much rather see them three or four times a year for routine maintenance than once a year on a tow truck. They want to work together with you to avoid breakdowns. Tell your Saint Cloud area friends and family to go in for their scheduled maintenance too. That lowers the service center’s marketing costs and helps keep its labor rates down. That’s good for everyone.

Don's Complete Auto Service appreciates this great review of automotive service from AutoNetTV.

Before You Leave Kissimmee, Get A Trip Inspection

You know, at Don's Complete Auto Service we get a lot of people asking about how to prepare their car for a trip. That’s a big deal. You could be driving through mountains and deserts in some pretty lonely areas outside of Kissimmee so you may be anxious to know that the car is up to the task and won’t leave you stranded.

You really do need to plan ahead for a major road trip – there are a lot of things to get ready. Where should you start? You could start with the tires. Look them over for tread wear and check to see that they are properly inflated. Take a quick test drive around Kissimmee to see if you can feel any vibrations: are the wheels are in balance? Is the car tracking straight? Is the alignment ok?

Come in and see us for trip inspection.

Don's Complete Auto Service
508 E. Vine Street
Kissimmee, Florida 34744
407-847-3427

The next thing is a full service oil change to make sure all of your fluids are topped off and you have fresh oil for the trip. And if your car has over 75,000 miles, you may consider putting in the high-mileage formulation to clean harmful sludge deposits in the engine. You may also need a new PCV valve and an engine air filter.

How about your transmission and brakes? Have you had your transmission and brakes inspected in the last six months?

How are your wiper blades? There’s nothing like not being able to get rid of the bug juice on a long road trip away from Kissimmee.

Check your owners’ manual for any other recommended service and have Don's Complete Auto Service do the multi-point inspection before you head out.

Consider also having the coolant system serviced – you want to stay within the manufacturer’s recommendations. If you’re towing a trailer you’ll want to be keep in mind that you’ll be going a long way under severe conditions.

A lot of folks overlook severe conditions like towing, or summer heat, or driving on dirt roads. Plan ahead for your next road trip – we want you to get there and back.

Transmission Care In Kissimmee Florida

Call Don's Complete Auto Service to make an appointment to check your transmission in Kissimmee.
508 E. Vine Street
Kissimmee, Florida 34744
407-847-3427

Do you have any plans around Kissimmee Florida for the weekend? Maybe you and some friends and are taking the boat up to the lake. Maybe you'll be having a lot of fun water skiing and doing a little fishing.

You got the boat all ready. It's all gassed up. You packed lots of snacks and the cooler's stocked – ready to go.

How about your tow vehicle? It has plenty of gas and you've even vacuumed it out, but is your auto maintenance up to date?

Stop and think. You'll have some heavy traffic on your way out of town. Hilly terrain as you get to the lake. Some dirt roads – and it may be hot weather. And all the time you're going to be towing around several thousand extra pounds.

That all adds up a lot of severe strain on your engine, brakes and transmission. Your transmission's going to be working overtime, spending more time in lower gears. The internal transmission temperature is going to be much higher than normal. What's a fun little blast to the lake for you is really severe duty for your transmission.

It's important that you have enough transmission fluid. If you're running low, the transmission will run to hot and won't have the protection it needs to cope with the added stress of towing.

And if it's time for a transmission service, you really should have it done at Don's Complete Auto Service before your trip. Transmission fluid breaks down and gets dirty over time. Whether you have an automatic or manual transmission, you need to have it serviced on schedule to make sure it runs efficiently.

Automatic transmissions contain a maze of passages that the fluid has to pass through to keep it shifting smoothly. If you neglect transmission service, the passages can get clogged up and you start to have problems. Neglect your transmission for too long, and it can fail. Believe us – you don't want to pay for a major transmission repair.

You know, most of us in Kissimmee Florida do a lot of our driving under severe conditions. Towing or hauling a big load is obvious, but there are lots of other things that constitute severe driving conditions. Things like short trips or driving in very hot or very cold weather. Also, dusty roads, city driving around Kissimmee, and basically any driving that's not at highway speeds or under ideal conditions is severe driving. We all need to think about whether or not we need to follow the severe service schedule.

So, consider going in for a full service oil change before you leave for the lake to make sure everything has been looked at. Ask for a trip inspection while you're at it. Your Kissimmee Florida service technician at Don's Complete Auto Service can check your belts and hoses and let you know if your brakes are in good shape.

Don't forget the sunscreen. And to thank your Kissimmee service technician, how about bringing him back a nice trout?

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